Safari supper: what it is and how to organise one

A safari supper is a dinner party where guests "migrate" between houses for each course, meeting different people at every table. Each couple cooks one course at home and is a guest for the others. In the Netherlands and Germany the same format is called a running dinner; in North America it goes by progressive dinner. Different names, same wonderful evening.

How a safari supper works

• Each couple (or pair) cooks one course at home and joins the other courses as guests elsewhere.
• Between courses everyone walks (or drives, in rural areas) to the next address – the "safari".
• The seating is shuffled every course, so you meet new faces at every table.
• Where you are heading next is traditionally kept secret until the end of each course – classic with sealed envelopes, nowadays also digital.
• The evening ends with everyone together for dessert or drinks at one final location.

The three classic rules

1. Nobody meets the same table companions twice. The whole point is mixing – the seating plan should guarantee it.
2. Hosts know how many are coming and what dietary needs they have – not who. The surprise is half the fun.
3. Keep the distances short. More time at the table than on the road: aim for under 10 minutes between addresses.

Organising one: the step-by-step plan

1. Pick a date and send the invitation. Ask for address, phone number, allergies and course preference right away.
2. Close sign-ups three weeks ahead and check the numbers work for your course count.
3. Make the seating and route plan. This is the hard part: who cooks which course, who eats where, nobody meeting twice, distances staying walkable. By hand this is an evening of puzzling per attempt – a planner does it in one click.
4. Brief the hosts on guest counts and dietary requirements.
5. Hand out the routes – printed envelope cards opened per course, or digital reveals.
6. Enjoy the evening. As the organiser you simply take part.

For menu inspiration that survives guests arriving 20 minutes late, see our progressive dinner menu ideas.

Safari supper in a single venue

No walkable village, or a club that wants everyone under one roof? You can run the same format inside one hall: everyone stays in the room and moves to a different numbered table each course, always with new table companions. A sailing club recently ran their annual dinner this way for 60 members – three courses, table rotation, and a quiz to finish. Our planner has a dedicated venue mode that calculates the rotation automatically, no addresses needed. Read more in table rotation dinner in one venue.

Try it before you plan it

The free demo comes preloaded with sample couples, so you can generate a full safari supper plan – tables, routes and envelope cards – in one click, no account needed. Try the demo →